Monday’s Seahawks poll, revisited: analyzing the concerns

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That’s what our readers decided in this week’s Monday Seahawks poll, which asked what the most concerning aspect was from the team’s 33-17 loss to San Francisco.

There were 1,164 votes cast as of this writing, with 39 percent agreeing that the play of Seattle’s offensive line is cause for most trepidation.

Close behind was quarterback play at 31 percent, and special-teams play at 30 percent.

Coach Pete Carroll addressed each of these issues during his Monday press conference. Let’s take a look at what he had to say.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Look at the second half, not the first.

If Carroll is right when he says that Seattle’s offensive linemen need to feel like they’re making progress, then they’d be best served looking at Sunday’s game this way.

After halftime, Tarvaris Jackson actually had time to throw. And not coincidentally, the Seahawks’ offense was actually able to make a game of it.

Part of the problem, Carroll said, was James Carpenter going through some growing pains at left guard. He started there in Robert Gallery’s absense, with Breno Giacomini starting at right tackle.

Carpenter had some problems with San Francisco defensive end Justin Smith.

“As you would think would happen, there were some first time situations that happened to James,” Carroll said. “And he got caught a couple times, played against a very good football player that at times gave them problems. They did some things really well. They teamed up really well on some blocking schemes, but there was a couple pass rushers that got away from us and it’s newness, it’s being over aggresive, a little bit of lunging, getting out of his stance a little bit, got awkwardly positioned. We can fix that, it just takes time. It’s going to take us time. And so I think the potential is there for those guys to be great wherever they play, and we came along and did some good things in the second half that made us feel that way.”

QUARTERBACK PLAY: Must admit that I’m a little blown away that so many of you thought Jackson’s play was more concerning than that of the special teams. Jackson was unspectacular, but I think the guy should be given some credit for hanging in there and making enough throws to get Seattle back into it late. It’s not hard taking as many hits as he did, and as Carroll said, there are some guys who wouldn’t have been able to finish the game.

Carroll said he didn’t think the amount of pressure made it difficult to evaluate Jackson’s game.

“I think you can see,” Carroll said. “And really, maybe I’m a bit of a broken record, he’s really tough, he can hang in there and he doesn’t let it bother him. When he gets the chance to throw the football, even sometimes when guys are right in his mug, he can still deliver the football and make plays. It’s unfortunate that he has to throw the interception that game, we throw the hail mary thing and all that. … I think it’s under a lot of heat. We feel confident that he can deliver the football, he understands where to go with it. He’s got all the arm we need. And he’s tough as can be. A lot of guys might not finish that game. He took some serious hits and never even flinched.”

Carroll said that despite Jackson’s mobility, the coaching staff has encouraged him to stand in the pocket as long as possible before scrambling.

“He’s really unflappable on the field,” Carroll said. “I feel that’s a very, very strong characteristic we’re going to need for a while as we’re building and getting these guys strong up front. He gives us a chance to really hang tough in there.”

SPECIAL TEAMS: Had I cast a vote in this poll, I probably would have landed in this camp. Not because I think the special teams is behind the offensive line right now. I think it’s obvious they need more work up-front. But I’d say special teams was more concerning on Sunday simply for the fact that this was such an area of strength last season.

Of course, it must be taken into consideration that the Seahawks were without Michael Robinson and Byron Maxwell during each of Ted Ginn’s touchdown returns.

Still, some serious strides must be taken in practice this week before the team takes the field against the Steelers on Sunday.

“Those guys forced us, not being available this week, to have to do some things to shuffle some stuff around, that will call for other guys who generally don’t have to be called up on the first team and special teams to step up and play,” Carroll said of Robinson and Maxwell. “Made a plea to the fellas that we have to do that to kind of regroup a little bit. We do have to make some decisions on that, which are already underway.

“Now as you look at guys getting banged up, it’s challenging when you lose some guys like that because you can’t always go get guys. You have to do it with guys that are on your team. We have that in mind with all of our decisions.

“We’ll mix our guys more than we’ve had in the past, particularly this week and next week to make up for the guys that we’ve lost.”

Carroll also pointed out that Jon Ryan didn’t punt the ball particularly well, and could have had more hang time on Ginn’s touchdown return and another big return earlier in the game.